New FBS Conference forming. But Hey! We play in the SEC of FCS!

[YSUGO]

As teams move up to FBS.  We will find it harder to recruit D1 level athletes. The pool is shrinking and YSU misses the boat.  We go D1 we would get almost 2 million to play an Ohio state not 850k.  The conference will be football only.

https://www.deseret.com/2022/12/9/23501592/conference-realignment-fcs-teams-will-reportedly-join-fbs?_amp=true

[The YO Show]

The craziest thing about that conference is they are two separate conferences that are going to try to move up as one ten team conference and none of those teams is incredibly good at FCS. Not to say there aren't 1-2 good teams out of that 10, but none have been relevant in terms of winning FCS championships or postseason play for a while.

[The YO Show]

I don't think this will happen, but if it is possible for entire conferences to go FBS... what do you guys think happens to YSU if the entire rest of the Missouri Valley were to attempt to go FBS? I think the MVFC would lose a few schools who wouldn't want to make that jump (WIU I could see not wanting it due to cost, and based on previous conversations here YSU might be in that boat too but will see what you think).

[BushwoodCC]

As teams move up to FBS.  We will find it harder to recruit D1 level athletes. The pool is shrinking and YSU misses the boat.  We go D1 we would get almost 2 million to play an Ohio state not 850k.  The conference will be football only.

https://www.deseret.com/2022/12/9/23501592/conference-realignment-fcs-teams-will-reportedly-join-fbs?_amp=true

I think the title of this thread is misleading. It is not fact that an FBS Conference is forming and has been given the approval by the NCAA. This FCS conference (alliance) is going to attempt to move up, but it clearly remains to be seen if their strategy to move an entire conference to the FBS is going to pass the approval process. I have great doubts.

[Double ET]

In order for these guys to even think of about submitting the proposal, they must have the budget approvals from their university’s’ administration. (I know this is how it needs to happen if YSU was to go FBS).
Where are they coming up with the $$$ except for a few of them (ex. SFAU…). I never even heard of FCS football from Utah Tech.

However, I have said before when I was in the academic seneate at YSU. Case could be made to go FBS if some donors could come up with some financial support. The largest expenditures are scholarships and coaches.
The scholarships are “ funny money” since it really does not cost the university much by putting these 120:extra students in existing classes (YSU is not adding classes to accommodate these athletes). YSU actually will get some state tuition support for these students. It has also been shown that the $$$ for the coaches could be made up with more money games at FBS levels.

It is almost impossible to make it happen at YSU with today’s economic and political environment. Administration is current trying save $$ by canceling academic programs and laying off faculties. I see this as a non starter.

Do we have big donors stepping up to provide $$$ to make this feasible? Let’s pray…

[YSUGO]

All great posts.  I was amazed to see like schools like Austin Peay thinking they can do this.  I’m like how.

[YSUGO]

Found this article too

https://clarksvillenow.com/local/austin-peay-football-could-soon-join-new-football-only-fbs-conference/

[Kandrase]

Austin peay staidum doesn’t even have capacity for FBS minimum attendance reqs. You’re supposed to have 15k average and their stadium only holds 10k

[YSUGO]

Read this article the Austin Peay Prez made some good comments on why and how.

https://www.theleafchronicle.com/story/sports/college/apsu/2022/12/02/austin-peay-football-fbs-gerald-harrison-athletics-director/69696103007/

[guinpen]

As teams move up to FBS.  We will find it harder to recruit D1 level athletes. The pool is shrinking and YSU misses the boat.  We go D1 we would get almost 2 million to play an Ohio state not 850k.  The conference will be football only.

https://www.deseret.com/2022/12/9/23501592/conference-realignment-fcs-teams-will-reportedly-join-fbs?_amp=true

Good point on the recruiting angle, does not matter how good the team or league is, high school kids get starstruck about FBS. Look at the kids we lose to the mac.

[Double ET]

Austin peay staidum doesn’t even have capacity for FBS minimum attendance reqs. You’re supposed to have 15k average and their stadium only holds 10k

I seems to remember comments by JT years ago when he was asked how YSU could meet both attendance and capacity requirements.

Capacity - not a problem, by taking some seats where no one sits and make them half width
Attendance - not a problem, by exchanging tickets with the other conference schools so you have sold 15 k tickets with only couple thousand butts in the seat ( it was reported that Zippy and can’t were practicing that).

It comes to this, if the university president, the board of trustees and the community want to do it, they will find a way. Unfortunately, our time has come and gone.

[YsuPride]

Yes our time has come and is long gone by us staying put in the FCS.   WE SHOULD HAVE MOVED UP TO FBS LIKE 15 YEARS AGO. SHAME.  WHAT A SHAME.

[Double ET]

Yes our time has come and is long gone by us staying put in the FCS.   WE SHOULD HAVE MOVED UP TO FBS LIKE 15 YEARS AGO. SHAME.  WHAT A SHAME.

Yes.
At that time, we still had lots of industries in the area that could have supported us….. General Motors (GM assembly plants in Lordstown, GM Packard Electric Division in Warren) with combined employment over 20k; Debartolo, Wean United, Taylor Winfield, Copperweld steel, Republic steel, Thomas Steel and a few other steel companies in Warren ares. Not to mention the respective tier 2 and 3 suppliers in the area.

Somehow, we couldn’t make it happen.

Marshall University in Huntington, WV was our FCS championship competitor for several years. My daughter works as a Chemical engineer in Huntington after graduating from YSU. Not only did Marshall moved up to FBS. They defeated Notre Dame this year. The place went nuts.
We now can only dream….

[IAA Fan]

Hey the Great West Conference did not make it. They were not even certified by the NCAA. Clearly the NCAA did not want them to move up.

[Kandrase]

Related to this thread. What exactly are the benefits of moving up to FBS for us? The only thing I can think of is better regional rivalries. It would be fun to play like 4 other Ohio teams per year, outside of that I don’t see the appeal